Senate approves $150 million for FDA in supplemental bill

WASHINGTON The Senate approved a supplemental appropriations bill last week, giving the Food and Drug Administration an additional $150 million for this fiscal year. The bill was already approved by the House, H.R. 2642 allows the agency to use the money through Sept. 30, 2009.

The amount is a little more than half the $275 million the Senate originally approved in May, as suggested by FDA commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach in a letter to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

The bill, pending approval from President Bush, consists of:

• $28 million for Centers for Drug Evaluation and Research and related field activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs;
• $12.7 million for Centers for Biologics Evaluation and Research and related ORA field activities;
• $20.1 million for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and related ORA field activities;
• $3.4 million for the National Center for Toxicological Research;
• $12.9 million for other activities, including the Office of the Commissioner; the Office of Scientific and Medical Programs; the Office of Policy, Planning and Preparedness; the Office of International and Special Programs; the Office of Operations; and central services for these offices; and
• $66.8 million for the Center for Food Safety and $6.1 million for the Center for Veterinary Medicine and related ORA field activities.